Amrah & Dave

Visit Beahmore Stone Circles, which were believed to have powers of fertility and on the crest of a hill outside Dunadry stands the finest Bronze age hole stone in the British Isle where it's believed lovers in ancient times solemnized their marriages.

Buy a print of Donegal and the family home at Britton and Daughters. This work-shop is a source of unusual artistic crafts: hand-etched mirrors or glass, Celtic carved rocks, wall hangings, and prints of Donegal.

Buy Dave a Kilt at Magee of Donegal Ltd, and find-out once and for all if it's true what they do and don't wear under it. Donegal handwoven tweeds, including beautiful suits, jackets, overcoats, hats, etc

Venture or at least in Amrah's case, attempt to venture across the Carrick-a-Reed, an open rope bridge which crosses over a 59ft wide cliff opening and a 79ft drop to the sea. Local fishermen put up the bridge each spring to allow access to the island's salmon fishery. Note to self: Don't look down!

Tour the Carrickfergus Castle, the best-preserved Norman castle in Ireland.

Buy a piece of Donegal jewelry at Crooked House Gallery. This is one of Donegal Town's best shops, with three floors packed with pottery, jewelry, ironworks, fabric, and furniture. More then 100 Irish artists.

Attempt to move back into the family castle (Donegal Castle). Built in 15th century on the banks of River Eske, this magnificent castle was once the chief stronghold of the O'Donnell's, a powerful Donegal Clan.

Visit the home of a colony of about 200 noisy seals while we tour the coast of Donegal on the Donegal Waterbus, and name them all.

Crafts in Ireland...need I say more?

Make friends with the locals in Dunfanaghy, a resort town, where there are outstanding beaches and coastal scenery within staggering distance of 3 different pubs.

Tour the Dungiven Castle and Priory, famous for teaching and attacting people from all over Europe for it's striking monument to Cooey-na-Gall, a local chieftain who died in 1390 AD. After the flight of the Earls a garrison was placed here under Sir Edward Doddington.

Visit Dunluce Castle, though I think that is said with an Irish accent, in an American accent it would be pronounced, "Don't Look" Castle. The castle was built on a cliff that have razor sharp promontory jutting into the sea.

Buy a County Donegal banner to go with Dave's new kilt, so he can be the Irish version of Braveheart, at Forget-Me-Not/The Craft Shop. Handmade jewelry, Celtic art cards, County Donegal banners and hanging, Irish traditional music figures, paintings, big oak sculptures, and beaten-copper art.

Visit the Giant's Ring, the Irish version of England's Stone Hinge. On a plateau overlooking the River Lagan, this is the largest prehistoric ritual enclosed in Ireland. A circular earthwork up to 12 feet high surrounds an open space nearly 600 feet in diameter and some 7 acres in area.

Take the locals of Glencolumbkille something electric to welcome them to the New Millennium. Modern conveniences, such as elecricity, came only recently to this village on a tiny cover amid the mountains of southwest Donegal.

Visit the High Cross of Ulster, the Ardboe Cross. It stands 18.5 feet high and 3.5 feet wide with 22 panels depicting various Biblical scenes.

Tour the Millmount Museum Martello Tower and the eclectic little museum in the courtyard of the 18th century Millmount Fort, where we will learn the history of Drogheda and the Boyne Valley.

Climb to the top of Murlough Bay, the most spectacular views of the day are seen here from the top of a rocky cliff so high that clouds swirl around your ankles.

Visit Old Abby an old Fransican monastery founded in 1474 by Red Hugh O'Donnell and his wife, Nuala O'Brian of Munster. Leave a pack of Big Red gum as homage to Uncle Red and Aunti Nuala.

Tour the Old Bushmills Distillery, licensed to distill spirits in 1608, but with historical references dating from as far back as 1276.

Triple-dog dare each other to look over the edge of Slieve League, the highest sea cliffs in Europe.

Popular myth attributes the creation of the Causeway to an Irish giant named Finn MacCoul who created the Causeway so he could walk to Scotland and pick a fight with the Scottish gaint Benandonner. When Finn saw how big Benandonner was he ran back to Ireland and hid in a baby crib. When Benandonner came to the door to fight Finn, Finn's wife told Benandonner not to wake the baby. Seeing just how big Finn's "baby" was, Benandonner grew scared and ran back to Scotland, tearing up the Causeway as he went to prevent Finn from following him.

More than a century after it was burned down, the 3rd Marquis of Donegal decided to build a new residence on the slopes of Cave Hill with Joyn Lanyon as architect, a project that dwindled the family fortune. The building was finished in 1870 thanks to the Marquis' son-in-law, Lord Ashley, who inherited the property with his wife in 1884. Visitors can still see the Donegal coat of arms on the north wall of the castle, as well as part of the Shaftesbury crest on the back staircase.

Tour the Mussenden Temple which is situated within the precincts of Downhill Castle on a cliff top. Both the Temple and the surrounding views are among the most photographed scenes in Ireland.

Buy a piece of Donegal history at William Britton & Sons. Established in 1874, this shop stocks antique jewelry, silver, crystal, clocks...

2 Night's at a B&B in County Antrim where we can recuperate from that day's adventures and prepaire for the next day's adventures.

3 Nights accommodation at a B&B in County Donegal where we can recuperate from that day's adventures and prepaire for the next day's adventures.

If the bed's a rockin', we're sleeping the in car! Ballygally Castle is said to be haunted by Lady Isabella Shaw who was murdered by her husband when she gave birth to a daughter rather then the son he had longed for.

Dinner and Drinks at Lakeside Centre which is renowned for traditional Irish music.

Dinner and Drinks at Leo's Tavern. Also, renowned for Irish music. The highly successful Irish group Clannad and the vocalist Enya all go their start at Leo's Tavern.

Dinner at the James Street South, highly recommeded for it's terrific food, which delivers modern classics with an Irish twist. I wonder how the Irish twist is different from Chubby Checker's "twist".

Dinner at Waters Edge which is located on the edge of the picturesque Lough Swilly, on the south end of town.

Dinner, Drinks, and Ghosts, Oh My! At the Dobbin's Inn.

Get our drink on during lunch at the Old Bushmills Distiller.

Lunch at Blue Haven a modern skylight restaurant which offers 180-degree views of Donegal Bay between Killybegs and Kilcar.

Lunch at Sail Inn Restaurant and Bar. Not yet determined if it'll be a liquid lunch or a solid food lunch though. Maybe a combination of the two.

Lunch at Smuggler's Inn Country House, which is surrounded by lovely gardens and across from the entrance to the Giant's Causeway.

Lunch at Sweeny's Pub and White Horse Bar. This place is old - the first recorded sale of the premises is dated 1793 - and the owners have managed to create a comfortable, semi-modern environment while retaining much of the character of the old building. I wonder if they have a good wine cellar too.

Lunch at the Crown Liquor Saloon, a National Trust pub.

Our last dinner in Ireland at Ballygally Castle.

Beep! Beep! Dave isn't big on the idea of carrying Amrah, and all of their luggage around Ireland so they need a car to get them to their various destinations.

Help us get to Ireland where we can begin our honeymoon and start our adventure walking in the footsteps of our ancestors.